Transcript 7001Wk12PathosFall2009

PATHOS - Emotional Appeal
(adapted from Thos. Kane, Oxford Guide to Writing, 1983)
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the emotional appeal (pathos) is an important and
legitimate means of persuasion
prompts changes in beliefs and behaviour of the
audience by arousing
happiness
guilt
laughter
ambition
excitement
self-love
altruismmoral indignation
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anger
fear
boredom
emotional appeals are the essence of advertising, public
relations, political image-making
as SSW states, pathos can effectively reinforce a
rational argument (as in your research paper)
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… from last week…
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“Persuasion: Non-Rational Modes:”
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“Unlike argument, emotive persuasion poses a moral problem. It
can be used more easily than argument to move us against our
will, and even, perhaps, counter to it” (Kane, 501). Discuss this,
giving a few examples.
“To assume that advertisements and press releases and political
claims are all lies is no wiser than taking them at face value”
(Kane, 502). Do you agree or disagree? Discuss.
Identify the 3 modes of emotive persuasion discussed by Kane
(502). Be prepared to give some contemporary examples of
each.
Find and be prepared to present some contemporary examples
of emotional fallacies mentioned by Kane, 512-514
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Cautions from T. Kane
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Emotional persuasion can move us against our
will and judgment
When emotion is appealed to, it cannot respond;
it can only resist.
Manipulation promotes cynicism: aware of the
manipulation of image-makers, we turn off all
messages, both the false and the worthy ones.
Cultivate a critical awareness; advertisers now
routinely exploit cynicism for their own ends.
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Conveying an Emotional Appeal
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A speaker can use voice tone, gesture, body
attitude, laughter, weeping, sad or solemn looks.
A writer must use powerful words and images
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see readings on style, tone, figurative language
When reading or writing an emotional appeal,
remember:
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clever, cynical writers and speakers can project
emotions they don’t feel (be on guard for insincerity &
emotional fallacies)
emotional sincerity alone is not enough (write
expressively when you need to, but avoid fallacies)
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Propaganda & Emotion
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Propaganda = information spread to promote a cause
(can include gossip, lies, half-truths)
used by political & religious & special interest groups,
advertisers, media, government; often
 manipulates human weakness to achieve an
emotional, not logical, reaction
 exploits most people’s lack of critical reading,
thinking, and listening skills
regularly, aggressively employs fallacies:
 name calling & ad hominem attacks
 glittering generalities
 guilt by association
 card-stacking
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Propaganda & emotion
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Propaganda = information spread to promote a cause
(can include gossip, slogans, lies, half-truths)
is a feature of daily life: used by advertisers, media,
business, government, political & religious
organizations & special interest groups
is neutral in itself but its negative connotation (like that
of “rhetoric”) exists because propaganda often
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manipulates human weakness to achieve an emotional, not
logical, reaction
deliberately exploits most people’s lack of critical reading,
thinking, and listening skills.
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Propaganda, cont.
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regularly, aggressively employs certain fallacies:
 name calling & mis-representation
 glittering generalities
 guilt by association
 card-stacking
see, for example, political party websites, (Nov. 2007 &
Nov. 2008) websites
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(2007-8; access through WaybackMachine) attacking Stephan
Dion: http://notaleader.ca
S. Harper and S. Dion on fed. Conservative Party site, and postelection site: http://www.conservative.ca/
S. Dion & S. Harper on fed. Liberal Party site (2007), and postelection site: http://www.liberal.ca
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Emotional appeal & complexity
 Persuasive discourses often use complex
forms of emotional appeal, identified by
ancient rhetoricians & still used, including:
1. Satire
2. Eloquence
3. Pathos
 All are legitimate means of persuasion.
 But: use them sparingly and with judgment in
professional discourse
 Satire often falls flat; demands intimate
knowledge of audience, genre, subject.
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(1) Satire
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very complex, with a moral base - ridicules folly
& vice by posing them against wisdom & virtue
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Mainly explicit: depicts both the folly/vice and the
ideal
 e.g., The Daily Show, Colbert Report, This Hour
Has 22 Minutes
Mainly implicit: reveals the folly, but expects readers
to supply the norm for themselves
 MOST of the Simpsons; Family Guy
 ??? South Park
Satire uses irony, sarcasm, invective, ironic contrast,
parody (see Kane, pp. 503-507)
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Satiric Devices: Irony
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Irony: language used in a manner that contrasts with its
conventional sense
 “Nice day!”
subtlety of irony is its strength and weakness; audience
has to recognize it, or effect is lost
 e.g., “Told You So”
sometimes an author or text can begin with ironic
commentary, transcend it to create a sympathetic and/or
believable reality; e.g.:
 The Godfather [tragedy] > Analyze This / “Fat Tony” on
The Simpsons [comedy] >The Sopranos [tragedy]
 Simpsons / S. Park / Family Guy: whenever the
audience begins to “care” about the characters
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Situational Irony
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occurs when an event’s outcome contrasts with actors’
or audience’s expectations
can be comic, biting, or serious; suggests truths &
paradoxes of human existence, large & small
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Alanis Morrisette’s song, “Ironic” (c. 1997): It’s like rain on
your wedding day / A free ride when you’ve already paid /
Good advice that you just didn’t take / … Meeting the man of
your dreams then meeting his beautiful wife…”
Sophocles’ play, Oedipus the King (c. 427 BCE): to rid his
city, Thebes, of a plague, Oedipus vows to find & punish the
killer of the previous king, unaware that he, Oedipus, had
been the killer (of his father) & is now married to his own
mother.
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Other Satiric Devices
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Sarcasm: biting, scathing remark; narrowly, such a
remark, expressed as simple irony
 He’s a brave man (said of a coward)
Invective: abusive, insulting language
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(the film As Good As It Gets): Q: How do you write women
so well? A: I start with a man and take away reason and
accountability
Ironic contrast: shows ideal & actual together; common
in literature, film, tv
Parody: mocking imitation of a style of speaking or
writing; MadTV, Daily Show, Adbusters, etc….
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Irony can be negative,
neutral, or positive;
depends on tone, context
and attitude of speaker
towards the object being
discussed and the
audience.
•Sarcasm: can be comic;
always belittling, negative
•Parody & contrast:
need not be negative
•Invective: always negative; not always ironic
• Irony can be playful,
belittling, or not directly
critical (situational)
-not self-reflective
-superiority to aud.
-certain meaning
-closed meaning
-self-reflective
-can reveal self to aud.
-negotiable meaning
-open meaning
belittling,
negative
criticism
Irony - fr. Gk.
eiron, dissembler
comic,
playful
criticism
at least two
meanings
at once
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(2) Eloquence
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language used powerfully & fluently to
appeal to our nobler emotions:
desire to reach toward and appreciate virtue
sense of honour
 love of country
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Examples
entire eulogy for Diana
 Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” and
most of “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
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(3) “Pathos”
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in narrow, contemporary use, is an appeal
to emotions of pity and compassion
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“’Why don’t you go back to Africa?’” (“Invisible Woman”)
“Who will protect the children?” (all-purpose appeal)
http://www.torontohumanesociety.com/
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Motivation and Persuasion
(Institute of Financial Education, Writing to Persuade, 1990)
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Consistency theory: assumes you must
overcome readers’ resistance to change by
 increasing anxiety about severity of the
problem
 reducing anxiety about the impact of the
change
 offering significant rewards for change.
These approaches are prominent in advertising
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Motivation & Advertising, cont.
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Maslow’s hierachy of needs: humans need/desire 1)
security > 2) affiliation > 3) achievement > 4) power > 5)
self-actualization
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Advertising targets early links in this chain by seeking to
motivate behavior through appeals to
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safety, comfort, belonging, appearance
fulfillment through sensory pleasures. sex
humor, novelty
economy (savings), durability
power/control, fame, exclusivity
knowledge
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10 Basic Advertising Techniques
adapted from J. Schrank’s Deception Detection (1975), in W. Adams & J. Spira, Reading
Beyond Words, 1978
(1) weasel claim: seems substantial, but is hollow
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Listerine fights bad breath (fights does not = stop)
(2) unfinished claim: suggests product has something
others don’t, without saying what
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Twice as much of the pain reliever doctors recommend (twice
as much of what? aspirin? morphine?)
(3) “we’re different & unique” claim:
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There’s no other lipstick like it (does this mean it’s better or
worse than other kinds of lipstick?)
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10 Techniques, cont.
(4) “water is wet” claim: says something true about
the product, but it’s also true for any product
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Dairyland Fat Free Skim Milk (all skim milk is fat free)
(5) “so what” claim: claim is true, but there’s no
advantage to it
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strong enough for a man but made for a woman (only for
women but strong enough for men?)
(6) vague claim: unclear; emotional appeal
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for luscious lips… (what are luscious lips?)
(classic example:) Winston tastes good like a cigarette
should
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10 Techniques, cont.
(7) endorsement or testimonial: using well-known people
to push products
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“got milk?” ads with Elizabeth Hurley, etc.
(8) scientific claim: makes the product sound as though
some statistics, scientific evidence, or special ingredient
makes it the best
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Kraft 2% milk slices: Twice the calcium of other slices (which
other ones?)
Revlon Results cream with Alpha Recap 50
(what “results” are promised?)
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10 Techniques, cont.
(9) “compliment the consumer” claim: we all like to be
complimented. Advertisers know it and use this
technique to get us on their side.
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Because you demand the very best…
(10) rhetorical question: no answer expected, but
assumption is that the answer is what the advertisers
want
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Where will your best ideas end up? (IBM)
When will you stop drinking and driving? (Counter-Attack)
Isn’t it time you started thinking about #1? (Carlton low-tar
cigarettes)
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Abuses of Emotional Appeal
1.
Hyperbole:
1.
2.
2.
Maudlin:
1.
3.
Rhet. A figure of speech consisting in exaggerated or
extravagant statement, used to express strong feeling or
produce a strong impression, and not intended to be understood
literally.
gen. Excess, extravagance. rare.
Having reached the stage of drunkenness characterized by
tearful sentimentality and effusive displays of affection;
characteristic of (the behaviour of) someone who has reached
this stage.
Sentimentality:
1.
The quality of being sentimental; affectation of sensibility,
exaggerated insistence upon the claims of sentiment.
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